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ESSAY 


ON THE 

CULTIVATION 


AN II 

MANUFACTURE OF COFFEE, 

» 

FOB WHICH THE PRIZE DEFERRED 
BY THE 


M^DtgiyJILYTO&IL I^XguHW^ 

(Jamaica,) 


WAS AWARDED 

W, H. 'M AEAK, 

* f 

• ‘'XhFBRXOREIiI nb rbjicxaa’* 



Printed at the Observer Press, 
1 8 4 9. , 


■ ■■■ .i 1■ 

Price One Shilling* 




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^IVossil t&e Jamaica Tim«» &*vd Royal Agricultural 
Society's Reporter.) 

m ^ § a i 

ON THK 

CIJLTfFAOTOW 4- MAMfl- 
FACTOR® OF <£»FFFE. 

For which the Prize, offered by the 
Royal Agricultural Sqciety, has been 

awarded to W. H. MARAH. 

» 

<f Inferiorem ne Rejicias, n 

There is no species of cultivation within the 
tropics, which opens to the mind of man, a 
more pleasing prospect and more agreeable work. 
ior its contemplative powers, than that inciden¬ 
tal to the Coffee Tree.—From the period, at which 
the plant is first, committed to the soil, till the 
tree has arrived at maturity, the various chan¬ 
ges which nature undergoes, afford much for 
our admiration ; but the time when the latter 
is most heightened, and wonder even ensueg. 
is at the application of science and skill, by 
means of the pruning knife, when nature as¬ 
sumes her beautiful dark green foliage, and the 
branches appear neatly aranged in their due or¬ 
der. A small shrub of a delicate and unpro¬ 
mising nature at first, has now grown to a 
sturdy tree, which is ready to show its gratitude 
for the care bestowed on it in its tender years 
by yielding its increase one hundred fold- But 



4 ) 

to the shame of those who neglect it, be it said, 
that the tree, when established, is of an un- 
usaily hardy nature, and nothing but the most 
culpable carelessness or palpable ignorance, is 
sufficient to injure or destroy it/ 

The due cultivation of the Coffee tree, so as 
to obtain from it yearly a certain quantity of 
fruit, without distressing the parent too much, 
has been a subject of immeasurable importance 
to those persons engaged in its study ; but a 
considerable diversity of opinion has occurred 
as to the best means to be adopted to gain the 
desired object.—This being acknowledged, it 
cannot be wondered at, that I should approach 
the subject of the present Essay, with much 
diffidence, and with all due deference to the 
opinions of those who have preceded me, and 
with whom I may differ. I purpose/ therefore, 
to give the result of my own experience acquir¬ 
ed from the management of Coffee properties 
for several years, during which time I applied 
myself strictly to arrive at the best mode of cul¬ 
tivating '-offee fields, to insure a good annual 
return from them, and the most effectual manner 
of manufacturing the produce so obtained, with 
a view to the improvement of its quality, in or¬ 
der to attain profit and pleasure. 

The Coffee Tree, according to Botanists, is 
thus described —** Cojjfea Arabica , or Jasminum 
Arabicum —a genus of the Pentandria order, be¬ 
longing to the Monogynia class of plants, pu« 
ranking in the natural method, under the order 
of Rubiacce* 

Upon the authority of Monsier Raynal, we 
are assured that the Coffee Tree came original¬ 
ly from Upper Ethiopia, where it was know* 


t C ) 


from time immemorial, and where it is said 
to be still cultivated with success. M. Lapince 
de Mejieres states, that he found the plant 
in the Indies, and made frequent use of its fruit; 
•which was rather larger than that which was 
produced in Arabia, at the commencement of 
the cultivation of this tree, towards the end of 
the I5th century. 

We are indebted to the Orientals for ouf 
knowledge of the use of Coffee—we are told 
that its qualities as a beverage were first dis¬ 
covered by the superior of a Monastery in Ara¬ 
bia, who, wishing to keep his Monks awake to 
perform the duties of the choir, was induced 
to make them drink of the infusion, in obser¬ 
ving the effects which it had on the goats.— 
Some people pretend, that its use took its rise 
from a Mollah, of the name of Chadeley, to di¬ 
vest himself of a drowsiness which enthralled 
him, and prevented his attending to his night 
devotions. Constantinople was the first place 
where public establishments were instituted for 
the use of this beverage—but these became the 
haunts of the idle and disengaged, politicions, 
poets, and Mollahs ; and the discussions which 
ensued at such frequent and promiscuous as¬ 
semblies, became so alarming, that in the reign 
of Amtirat the third, the Government interfer¬ 
ed to suppress them. Edicts to that effect were 
issued at several periods ; but the custom 
of drinking Coffee had become too establish¬ 
ed, to be thus eradicated. The influence of 
Religion was even resorted to, for the purpose 
of discouraging the use of this harmless and 
refreshing beverage. In the year 1423, (920 
of the Hegeria) a sermon was preached against 


b ) 


its use, by one of the Mahometan Doctor, 
which resulted in the persecution of the Coffee 
drinkers. A meeting of the Divines was how- 
ever, called to decide on this momentous ques¬ 
tion, and they solemnly declared that there was no 
criminality in drinking Coffee, from which period, the 
use of it has been allowed to all true Believers. 

It was not till the middle of the 13th cen¬ 
tury, that the use of Coffee was introduced 
into England. But since that period, the taste 
for it has gradually extended, and it has now 
become a necessary of life. 

The Dutch, the most enterprising commer¬ 
cial nation of the 17th century, were the peo¬ 
ple who first brought the Coffee plant fro hi 
the East, and introduced it into Europe. They 
originally obtained the plant in Mocha, trans¬ 
ferred it to Batavia, thence to Amsterdam, a«d 
a.t the commencement of the 18th century, 
Louis 14th procured a plant from the latter 
place, which he transplanted in the Jardin des 
Plantes, whence it was distributed to all the 
French Islands; bnfc it was fir-^t sent to, and 
cultivated in the Island of Martinique. 

The best Coffee still comes from Mocha and 
Aden, hilly districts in Arabia Fellix, where 
there are still large plantations. In the cul¬ 
tivation, it has bebh asserted by travellers in 
that country, the Coffee trees are never topped 
and no attention is paid to pruning, the plan¬ 
ters contenting themselves with removing the 
dead or broken branches and suckers which 
spring from the root. When the exposure i 
too warm, they shade their trees by planting 
their fields with a species of poplar : and 
'when the berry is ripe, they spread pieces o i 


\ ' . , 

cloth below each tree, in which the rips fruit 
is col’ected by shaking it„ They do not pulp 
their Coffee, but having dried it on mats, they 
remove the hardepded envelope by the mill. 

According to Jamaica historians, the Coffee 
plant was introduced into this Island about the 
3 /ear 1 TJ 8 , and the first plantation was esta¬ 
blished on Temple Hall Estate, in St. Andrew’s,, 
There an many persons still alive here, who 
recollect When the whole Island did not pro* 
duce as nuch as one of the large Coffee pro¬ 
perties, in a favored district, during the time 
of slavery. 

On the irst establishment of Coffee planta- 
tiorts in the West Indies, the trees were al¬ 
lowed to gruv up in their primitive state; 
— that is to fay, the plant was put in, in the 
usual manner, aud kept clear of weeds; but 
no means wen taken to ascertain whether 
science could ie applied to its cultivation, 
so as to rendei the tree more fruitful and 
profitable. It was, therefore, permitted to 
grow to the heigit of ten feet and upwards, 
as far as the richness of the soil would ex¬ 
tend it. Fields art yet to be seen in many 
parte of St. Andrews and St. George’s where 
nature has taken W own cousre, and where 
the trees grow* in suckers to nearly twelve 
feet. These suckers, n good seasons, b^ar pro¬ 
digiously, and, after bey are relieved of their 
fruit, die away, and give place to a new vege¬ 
tation of the same description. Among the French 
refugees who carae ov>r froth Haiti to this 
Island, at the time of the revolution in that 
ill-fated country, this system of cultivation 
prevailed ; but fbtey wert induced te alter 


( « ) 

course of management, and to resort to the 
use of the pruning knife. 

The topping of the tree also assists in the 
reaping of the fruit, for in order to obtain 
the ripe Coffee from these tall trees, the 

laborers have generally to use long crooks, 
to bend down the branches, and thus the 
latter, when heavily laden, are entirely deffcroy- 
©d, in the endeavour to pick off a fev ripe 
berries. 

We have no historical data by whch to 
ascertain when the topping of the cofee tree 
was first instituted, or when the use of the 

pruning knife was applied. One circumstance 
however goes to prove that science has been 
brought to bear on the cultivation of the tree 
for upwards of half a centry; for there are 
fields now in existence ; of that age, and 
which show the usual symptoms of having 
been topped and regularly prunel from their 
establishment. 

The soil best adapted to he cultivation 
of the coffee tree is the “ lo#se gravelly or 
stoney,” and the (r chocolate,-but the tree 
sustains life, and yields fruit, though not to 
a great extent, in other soils. The rich 
black mould is peculiarly favorable to the 
coffee tree, and will produce it, like other 
fruit trees, in perfection, ir a seasonable cli¬ 
mate : but I have seen ftlds established on 

rich soils throw out an immense foliage; al¬ 

ways appearing green and beautiful, and yet 
producing no fruit. An hstance of this kind 
is to be found in a higl field in Saint Da¬ 
vid’s, called Windsor. A clayey soil harbors 
damp in wet weather, whilst it becomes dry 


( 9 ) 


and sterile at the opposite change, and stops 
vegetation in the tree. It is not unireqnently 
mixed with a stratum of marl, to which so 
soon as the roots of the tree arrive, decay 
ensues—the first indication of which is to be 
observed in the yellowness of the leaves, which 
soon become shrivelled, till at length all drop 
off, nature yields, and life becomes totally 
extinct. In my experience I have sesn large 
patches of coffee die off after this manner 
"—without any apparent possibility of account¬ 
ing for it, but on digging down to the lower 
roots, the marley stratum of which I have 
spoken, is to be found. A plan was resorted 
to by an experienced planter, to re-establish 
a field, which had thus died away ; he caused 
a small quantity of whitelime to be thrown into 
the holo (which was always dug very large) in¬ 
tended to receive the young plant, together 
with a portion of the upper soil. The tree 
grew, and bore for a series of years; but. 
again became the victim of the marl. It 
would, therefore appear that the warmth of 
the lime had been absorbed by the chilling 
dampness of the marly stratum, and that the 
latter availed itself of its power to communi¬ 
cate its deadly breath to the roots of the 
ree. 

In virgin lands, after the usual preparation 
of felling and clearing away the wood, the 
Coffee plant is put in, in the following manner:—- 
the land is lined off into rows of from 6 to 7 
feet square, as the richness of the soil and the 
prospects of climate may warrant. At each square, 
pegs are inserted in the first instance to denote 
the spot assigned for the reception of the plant. 


snd the persons engaged in putting in the youifg 
suckers, follow on with a delve, and as the peg 
is removed, a hole is made about eighteen inches 
deep, into which the plant is inserted, and 
the earth piled gently about It, leaving 
from six to eight inches exposed above the 
surface of the earth. Formerly it was custo¬ 
mary to raise nurseries from the seed, whence 
a regular supply of young plants could be ob¬ 
tained in the laving out of the new fields—but 
these have fallen into disuse, from the quanti¬ 
ty of young trees which are to be found grow¬ 
ing wiid on thrown up lands or plantations, 
the growth of berries which are tuben from cul¬ 
tivated fields by the birds and rats. The quan¬ 
tity of fruit which is annually lost to properties 
by sundry causes, such as careless reaping, birds, 
rats, &c. torrn of themselves nurseries under the 

j ' 

trees, and these furnish plants—but on all well- 
managed properties, these latter nurseries should 
be eradicated, as they tend much to impoverish 
the soil, and to rob the tree of that aliment 
'which is essentially necessary to its preservation 
and longevity,, 

The suckers are drawn, trimmed of their roots, 
and cut about two feet long. Good stout stumps 
are generally prefered, as they vegetate with 
greater strength. Plantations were formerly es¬ 
tablished from the seed in the first instance—- 
but I have not known within the last fifteen 
years, such a course to have been pursued. 

It was customary to plant corn, peas, and 
provisions through all young fields, till the trees 
were about three years old, but the great al¬ 
teration which has taken place in plantation 
'economy since the emancipation, has been Such 


( n } 


ka to abolish this practice. I do not think that 
either corn or peas do any injury to a young 
field—but provisions decidedly tend to exhausfe 
the soil and keep back the yohng plant. 

Young fields require immense care,, in conse¬ 
quence of the ranknes* of the weeds which 
spri g up in ail new soils. It therefore becomes 
necessary to clean them at least four times per 
annum; and .at e£ch cleaning, it is requisite to 
supply all the plants which have not taken, in 
order to insure a perfect and regular field. A 
small eye is the first sympton of vegetation 
which attracts the observation, then a bud, a cou¬ 
ple of leaves, and joint's and leaves follow in 
the course of nature’s operations 

The young tree shoots out its lateral branches 
at each joint, which follow in regular succession, 
till the tree arrives at the height of four feet 
six inches. It is at this period when science is 
first called into action, by the topping of the 
tree, which is performed by cutting olT the six 
inches with a knife, so as to form a tree of 
four feet. This operation has a wonderful effect 
on vegetation, the branches in their turn, begin 
to throw out buds, which in time become the 
limbs termed collaterals; and, in the course of 
eighteen months, the tree will have arrived at 
its full bearing point, forming a spectacle of 
amazing beauty and order, and presenting a re¬ 
markable pea-green hue. 

In late years, since virgin lands, adapted to 
the growth of the Coffee Tree, have become so 
‘distant from the works, trials have been made 
on plantations, to establish fields on thrown up 
binds and old negro grounds. 

.Muck success has attended the lacier attempt. 


bud, the trees do not grow to within one half 
the size of those planted on new soils. Lands 
situate contiguous to the works might be esta¬ 
blished in Coffee, by the aid of manure, how¬ 
ever poor the soil may be, but immense care 
and attention will be required to effect it. 

Trees, after being topped throw up suckers 
from each joint, but more especially at the head. 
These must be removed at each cleaning as 
they grow rank, and rob the tree of its sup¬ 
port. The wood of a Coffee tree is of a greenish 
color, and rather soft, when young ; but as it 
ripens, it assumes a brownish and hardy appear¬ 
ance, In topping young fields this appearance 
must be strictly attended to, and the trees should 
not be topped till the wood has ripened at the 
cutting point. I have known young fields, al¬ 
most ruined, by being topped too early, before 
the wood had sufficiently ripened. As young 
trees commence being planted, and as they ge¬ 
nerally bear heavy at the time of topping, it 
stands to reason, that unless the mother stem be 
sufficiently ripe to bear the weight of the branches 
loaded with fruit, the unripe portion will wear 
away, and thus the tree and fruit will be des¬ 
troyed. 

j t 

The climate as well as the seasons vary so 
materially in this island, that the growth of the 
tree, as well as it cultivation, must differ accord¬ 
ing to its peculiar locality. In the parishes of 
St. David, Port-Hoyal, and St. Andrew, where 
the Coffee tree flourishes best, and from whence 
the best quality of the article is produced, an 
entirely different system of management is pursu¬ 
ed to that which prevails in Manchester, St. 
Elizabeth’s and St. Thomas in the Vale.—la 


( 13 ) 


the former district, the tree does not come into 
full bearing, before it is seven years old, whilst 
in the latter, this takes place in one half the 
time ; and the longevity of the tree bears a more 
remarkable difference ; in the one, fields are to 
be teen now [in cultivation upwards of half 
a century old, whilst in the other fifteen years 
may be taken as the mean age. Soil does not 
of itself create this strange difference, as the 
same indications of favorable moulds are to be 
seen in each district, but it may the rather be at¬ 
tributed to the difference of climate. In the up¬ 
per districts, where Coffee plantations have been 
established below the range of the Blue Moun¬ 
tains, the temperature, though cold and bleak, 
is dry and healthy, whilst in St. Thomas in the 
Vale, where the lands lay considerably lower, the 
atmosphere is warm, though damp, and visited 
with a continuous supply of rains and fogs. 

The most difficult and yet highly important 
portion of plantation management, consists in 
the due attention which is required to keep the 
fields regularly and properly pruned. This is a 
subject upon which planters are seldom found 
to agree—each one has his own peculiar system 
of pruning : some recommend heavy cuttings, 
others slight pruning, and not a few no pruning 
at all. Amid such a jargon of opposite opi¬ 
nions, we must adopt the motto—“ in medio 
tutissiraus. ” In my opinion, one of the many 
evils which has been inflicted on this country, 
has resulted from the injudicious and indisereet 
mode of management which was pursued upon 
plantations. Whilst large tracts of woodland 
were at command little or no attention was 
paid to 'be keeping ia cultivation of old asta- 


( ) 


Wished fields; these were allowed to run into, 
waste, to give place to the large returns which 
were anticipated from a new and rich soil. In¬ 
deed I may safely say on this point, that the 
usual indication of Jamaica characteristics was 
palpably evident, viz., to live for one’s self, 
and not to thinlj of posterity. Acting under 
this spirit, plantations were run over, and con¬ 
sidered worn out in the course of a few years, 
whilst, with a proper degree of care and pre¬ 
caution, they might have retained their names, 
and kept up their crops for a series of years. 
The pruning system then adopted, tended much 
to accelerate the ruin of properties. As labor 
was abundant, it was customary to commence 
pruning at an early season, before the crop was 
taken off, and the destruction of a few tierces 
of produce, at the fag end of the crop, was 
considered of no consequence. By dint of hea- 
y and severe cuttings, the trees were forced 
to the utmost of which nature was susceptible, 
into copious vegetation. 7i-his exuberance of 
young wood, the tree could not sustain to per- 
feetion, and the major portion was therefore con¬ 
signed, in turn, to the fate of being torn away 
by the openers, to perish to secure some venti¬ 
lation for the tree. Thus was that undone, 
which nature had been forced to perform. These 
heartless bleedings were repeated year after year 
till nature was exhausted, and the tree would 
yield up the ghost. This system of management 
came under my own observation, which has in¬ 
duced me to allude so pointedly to it—more so 
as it was set up as the ne plus ultra of planter- 
ship by those who had numbered their eighteen and 
twenty years experience in plantation management 


io ) 


'When fields have been neglected for years, r). 
becomes absolutely necessary to resort to severs 
pruning to re-organize the tree ) for it. stands to 
reason, that constant vegetation irregularly kepi 
up, must choke the. trees; and prevent ventila¬ 
tion ; while the decaying and useless branches 
would still spring, and draw sustenance from 
the good and regular. And as the tree conti¬ 
nues to bear yearly however little, it must be¬ 
come one mass of vegetation and irregularity 
Such being the case, it is impossible that the 
bearing wood can attain perfection ; but be the 
rather stinted in is growth, and become useless 
and unprofitable. 

There can be no specific rr.les laid down for 
the guidance cf the uninitiated in the art of 
pruning. General rules might he spoken of 
but thev are so liable to be interfered with in 

i J •* * 1, *'■ 

their application, by constant changes in the cli¬ 
mate and the seasons, as to render their intent 
unavailable. In my opinion, the best mode of 
management is discernible in him, who takes 
advantage of, the appearance of nature, by an 
application of his skill, when that is required 
to assist the tree in nature's operations. 

The tree, as I have before observed, throws 
out lateral branches in the first stage of its growth. 
These are called primaries, and should they be 
cut off, or broken from the stem by accident, 
their place can never be supplied by a growth 
of the same kind. Suckers and “ gonnandisers, 5 ' 
of which I shall hereafter speak, take their 
place. The collaterals which strike out in a 
lateral direction from the primaries, subsequently 
become the legitimate victim of the pruning 
knife, after their bearing B.ut it often happen?. 


f 1*3 


that as nature promiscuously supplies this ve¬ 
getation, a larger corp of collaterals might be 
generated, and draw more aliment from the tree, 
than it is able to support, and bring the fruit 
to perfection, so it becomes necessary to resort 
to science, and to select that portion of the 
wood which is healthy, strong, and regular, 
and take out the puny irregular, and super¬ 
fluous,. 

All shrub trees require a certain amount of 
respiration, to conduce to their health and vi¬ 
gor. With the coffee tree, it is indispensable 
to its health and life, that a constant and re¬ 
gular circulation of air should be transmitted 
through the body, and to this view it is ne¬ 
cessary that the heart of the tree should be 
kept entirely free from vegetation. After a 
severe pruning, the vegetation is rank, and 
studded. The prudent planter watches his op¬ 
portunity, and so soon as he perceives the 
young wood of sufficient growth, to admit of 
an exercise of judgment in its selection, he di=> 
rects the opening to be performed. The heads 
of the trees are first to be stripped ot all ve= 
getation, so as to form a clear area of at least 
six inches from the original stem, afterwards 
all that which runs transversely; and as the 
opener proceeds, he takes out every thing which 
appears “spindly” and stunted leaving the rich 
healthy “black” wood to produce the crop. 

When fields are kept in “ good order, ” by 
light annual prunings, there are always two 
growths of wood to be seen coming on—-the 
first in advance and ripe for the crop, and the 
second shooting out, to ripen for the ensuing year. 
A9y own principle has been to follow this course, sa> 


** to obtain arr average bearing ai: ?;ualiv 
♦be fields wind had been . committed to w v 

1 w 

care and management 

The climate of Jam air., a varies so materially 
in its different localities, that no distinct period 
can be stated as the most favorable for pruning. 
In those altitudes, where the coffee trees vegetate 
almost all the year, round, I have known pru¬ 
ning to be performed during the whole 
period. It stands, however, to reason, that 
there are certain periods in the year, when the 
sap lies dormant in the tree, and not the 
slightest spring is perceptible. It the object be 
to obtain a copious and healthy supply of young 
wood, I do not think that season suitable to 
the purpose*—as I have observed fields pruned 
in November and December, remain in a dor 
mant state, and not throw' out a single particle 
cf young wood, till the spring cf the ensuing 
year. The mon>hs of May, June, July and A» 
gust, have formed the season in which I ob¬ 
served the pruning’ to act beneficially on the 
Coffee tive, in the upper districts where I was 
principally located. But it has oftentimes hap¬ 
pened that in a late crop, the fruit is not taken 
off by August, consequently the pruning had 
to be delayed to the months of September and 
October, alter which period X consider the cut¬ 
ting a field for wood perfectly valueless, and ss 
mere waste of labor and money. 

There is no doubt that the pruning knife 
should be administered to the tree as early as 
possible after it has been relieved cf its Irak- 
It has occurred to me, however, that this re¬ 
solve should bo contingent on the seasons, &*v- 

pt.ji.fp rf #Ko frvoflg th?jr sparing- hf 


{ 18 ) 

the weather has been peculiarly seasonable with a 
heavy crop, vegetation will have commenced 
before the fruit is entirely reaped, or more pro¬ 
perly speaking, about the end of the crop. In 
this case no harm can result from an immediate 
application of the pruning knife ; the same course 
v/ould also be equally justifiable, when the 
fields have given but an indifferent return, and are 
in no wise distressed. Taking an opposite 
view of the case, however, the subject appears 
to me to wear a totally different aspect. If the 
held has borne heavily, and appears distressed, 
presenting a mass of “white” and almost life¬ 
less wood, T should think an immediate pruning 
highly injurious, for it stands to reason thut it 
v/ould be compulsory in the pruner to cut away 
all the old wood, according to the strict rules of 
pruning, and the tree would as a consequence 
be left totally hare, and could not possibly give 
any return for two years at least. Now, had a 
small respite been afforded the held, till nature 
had somewhat revived and vegetation ensued, 
the primer would be enabled to see what should 
really be taken out—some portion of the old 
wood would thus bo saved, which would give 
e. small return for the ensuing crop. A circum¬ 
stance of this nature came under my own per¬ 
sonal observation in the year 1840, when I was 
residing on a large Coffee property, the fields of 
which were situated high, just below the Blue 
Mountain Peak, and the result tended to confirm 
me in the opinion which I have here set forth, 
la that year, there was au ex-ceeding drought 
Throughout the country in which the district of 
my locator* glutted b■ •.: we were protected 
from it* bfc.nety! nffueme bv he heavy ni^nt 


de.wt. wh; l.i t'et and vhioh ten: ed •preserve 
» iiLtie moisture. The "weather during the pre¬ 
ceding year was also rather dry in that district, 
and as such was rather favorable to so wet ami 
cold a climate, the crops of 1840 were there¬ 
fore rather large, doubling nearly those of 
several years'” preceding. The property which 
T managed made its 60 tierces, my neighbour 
of the adjoining property made the «ame crop, 
and indeed the whole district made returns 
proportionate to the capabilities of the several 
properties. As the weather had been so ex¬ 
ceedingly dry, and the fields appeared much, 
distressed, after the crop had been taken oft. 
(and which by the way lassed till the 1 st of 
August.) my first attention was directed to the 
cleaning of the fields, which are generally ma¬ 
ker with weeds as that season titan at any period 
of the year. litis (ask 1 commenced in June, 
when the heavy [ticking had ’ceased, and the 
labor could be thus spared, and was completed 
early in August. We were favored with a few 
soaking showers about the early part of Angus 
ami the trees began to revive. So soon as 1 
observed this change 1 sent in the pruner$ to 
commence operations, and succeeded in putting 
the entire fields in good order by the 1 st of 
October. In the month of September we ob¬ 
tained good blossom, and partial ones in Octo¬ 
ber, which resulted in a crop of 56 tierces m 
1 84 1*. My neighbour, who was one oi the old 
school, and with whoso experience I datvd not 
put oivsed in competition, pursued an opposite 
system of management before a drop of rain 


had fall n or «i > nob <>t gra^s 
of hjc p».{dt ho had nomjdoted 


•\ Hi- ! a f ' I Oil!. 

:ht onyn pert 


to chan- 


{ *20 ) 

<ii‘ his orunhig—-atid t! i e n resorted 

< c? 

Hig.™ 

Be made hut 84 tierces in 1841—although in 
the same locality with equal advantages. 1 may 
also add, in further proof of the efficacy of the 
system to which I bad given the preference, 
that an overseer in the same district pursued 
my mode coeval with myself; and that the same 
results attended his ensuing crop. 

My attention was at the time pointedly drawn 
to this extraordinary difference of opinion be¬ 
tween my next door neighbour and myself, and 
I was the more determined to watch the re¬ 
sults. My neighbour argued that he always ex¬ 
pected to make a short crop after a heavy one, 
and it was therefore necessary to sacrifice some 
wood by pruning early, in order to force the 
trees to throw out young wood, to produce 
another large crop in 1840. The seasons how¬ 
ever verier/, and rny neighbour’s expectations 
were doomed to disappointment ; for in that year 
he did not even realize his 1841 crop. 

Fhos it appears perfectly convincing to me 
that this sacrifice of which I have heard plan¬ 
ters speak as highly justifiable, in order to 
push for a large crop—is palpably inexpedient 
and flagrantly injurious. There can be no cer¬ 
tain calculations made on the seasons. The trees 
might be in a state of perfection as to order—* 
the indications equally as conclusive on the 
mind as to the promise for the next crop, when 
a sudden blast might destroy all our anticipa¬ 
tion'', or at. any rate render them fruitless. In¬ 
deed the very fruit has been seen on the trees, 
and a heavy winter ha? often doomed it all to 
biighi 


( 21 




In arguing thus { do not meat; to approve 
of such light pranings, as only to consist in a 
silly handling of the tree, while a great deal of 
wood is left behind, which must draw suction, 
which neither adorns the tree nor is profitable 
to man. There must be a medium in all things 
and that medium is peculiarly required to be 
observed in pruning. Wood, when once it. be¬ 
gins to assume a yellow tinge, gives evident 
proof of ill-health—it should therefore be taken, 
out, together with all long branches, with a, 
couple of leaves at their ends. It. is unnecessary 
it; an essav of this nature to enter too much into 

ml 

uiinutise, auii enumerate the several appear¬ 
ances of the branches, which it is necessary to 
cut out, or of the wood, which the primer is 
called open to victimize when lie. meets with 
an exuberant tree- -but the immutable rule to be 
observed is to cut out all that experience proves 
to be useless and unprofitable—taking care at ad 
times to preserve the primary branches how¬ 
ever dejected they may appear unless then be 
totally dead and drv. 

When age begins to wear upon long establish' 
ed fields, there is a peculiar branch to which 
they become subject, and that is what is termed 
the “ gormandiser ” not abaci cognomen certain- 
jv. fo; it sucks voraciously all aliment from rbr 
tree. It is of the same species as suckers, with 
this difference, that the sucker springs in aw 
upright direction from the joints of the tree, 
whilst the gormandizer shoots out horizontal'?. 
Trees suffer much, and soon waste away, when 
they become addicted to this branch—which 


arises franue.ntlv from 

pruning b\ cutting 


careless « T ?" ig'mran: 

primaries out u 


a wav 


( 


o!'i fields they grow naturally from the stock. 
It is propel that they should be exterminated 
that is taken clear ont at the socket, whenever 
no tree can stand such a course,—but when 
tin y have assumed the place of primaries which 
have been wantonly destroyed, it is impossible 
to change their order, for so soon as one is 
out away, another is sure to resume its place, 
in that case, it will be as well to allow them 
to remain and bear, taking them out after 
every crop 

Pruning is as essential to the cultivation and 
renovation of the Coffee tree, as medicine is 
to the restoration of the sick man's health. It 
has therefore, somewhat surprised me to hear 
men whom the world have thought experience 
had made safe in nature's laws, condemn pru¬ 
ning as uncalled for and injurious to the Col- 
fee tree. Fields have been known to bear for 
a succession of years, after an entire absence 
of the pruning knife ; but it has been as well 
observed that the trees suffer most materially 
after that period and will not produce any 
fruits for another term of years, Mr. Stamp 
the former proprietor of Mt. Holstein in St 
George's, tried this plan—-he had an overseer 
who was a good pruner, and kept the property 
in good pruning order., but who left in 1830 
Mr. Slump neglected pruning altogether, after 
ho took upon himself the active management— 
the fields bore heavily for four years after, but 
subsequently fell off most alarmingly, it .bad 
previously averaged its 120 tierces, but fell off 
to 20.— 

The injury sustained from neglect of pruning 
• >r perveise ebsfinact in deriving die use of 


the pi uning knife. uiiisf ultimately fall set! 
‘ousjy on the proprietors of coffee properties, for 
the outlay requisite to put a neglected field in 
good order, is equal to three times that which 
would have sufficed for an ordinary pruning';, 
besides the total loss of two or may be three 
years’ crops. A tree once matted up, and al¬ 
lowed to pass over a winter, is sure to lose 
a portion of its primary branches, from the want 
of a circulation of air. As these cannot be 
replaced, the tree forms a perfect umbrella, 
and fruit can only be obtained from the top 
branches^ after the tree has undergone a thorough 
pruning, and almost a re-organisation of wood. 

In lowland districts, and more especially in 
Manchester, Si. Elizabeths, and St. Thomas iu 
the Vale, very little pruning is required, and 
the same is applicable to fields established on 
light and sandy soils. In these districts, the 
breaking off the dry wood, and nipping ofi a 
few switches constitute the whole ari—but in the 
high mountains, where the trees grow to an 
exuberance, to cover an area of form thirty to 
fifty feet, the art of pruning them is replete with 
science, and forme a most essential feature of their 
cultivation. 

Gentlemen who have been accustomed to the 
management of properties in those districts, where 
the trees are small, become entirely bewildered, 
when they behold the magnificent foliage, which 
the fields exhibit in the high mountains. In 
this manner, great errors accrue, and muck 
injury is sustained, by endeavoring to assimilate 
the extent of pruning requisite in the one dis¬ 
trict to that of the other l have also observed 
that the negroes »vhc had been brought up in 




'24 ' ) 

the lowland districts ol Port Royal ana Sc. 
Andrews and who sought employment in tba 
upper part of Saint David's, after the emanci¬ 
pation, were much astonished, and felt them¬ 
selves at a loss in the use of the knife on the 
fields to which they had transferred their labor, 
and they therefore made but indifferent pruners, 
A severe pruning in St. Thomas in the Vale 
would be attended with injurious results. Though 
that parish is exceedingly damp, embedded in 
fogs, and visited with continual rains, still it 
is highly remarkable that a moderate St. David's 
pruning would entirely ruin the held to which 
the system might be applied. While I was in 
7 hat parish my attention was directed to an ex¬ 
tensive field, which had been entirely ruined, and 
is now r thrown up, by this injudicious course of 
management. 

x question wus put. to me a few weeks ago 
by a gentleman who held the attorneyship of 
an extensive Coffee property highly situated,— 
he desired to know whether it would not be 
advisable to allow a field, which was exposed 
to the north wind, and lately piuned, to rev 
main with its matted young wood till after 
• he spring of next year, in order to protect it 
from serious injury at that period when the 
north winds are so prevalent. My answer then 
just brings me to a. consideration of what is 
termed “wintering 1 replied that, unless the 
field was well opened- so as to preserve a free 
circulation of air, and permit the rays of the 
sun to strike into the heart of the trees, to 
create some warmth, the field would most as¬ 
suredly winter, should the weather be severe in 
fall of the year; and, in such a. as*-., the, 
pruning would be rendered wholly va 


J 


Th* tiees often become so matted IowarnV 
the heart, from an excess of vegetation after 
pruning, as to become entirely impervious to 
the rays or the sun, forming perfect umbrellas, 
under which, a person might seek shelter from 
a shower of rain, it therefore must be obvious 
that their state could not resist the consequences 
which must ensue from the heavy rains that 
fail usually in October and November. They 
would rather harbor the wet, and accelerate 
their own destruction. This event is brought 
about in a most remarkable manner, the leaves 
contract and drop off, the branches being pre¬ 
viously chilled, and in many cases the latter 
die off; but should this not ensue, so far as the 
ensuing crop is concerned, the wood becomes 
totally unht for bearing, A new vegetation will 
come, on in the spring*, but from the bleakness 
of the climate, the wood which thus generates 
will not ripen in time for that crop, but may be 
available in the ensuing year, if proper care be 
used that a repetition of the last year’s proceedings 
does not lake place. 

Having said thus much of pruning, it will 
be necessary to make a few observations on an 
other portion of cultivation—the weeding. ! 
have given precedence to a consideration of the 
art of pruning, because 1 conceive that pai i 
of cultivation, of paramount importance. The 
due cleaning of Coffee fields is equally requisite 
to their proper culture j blit this forms a mere 
piece of physical labour, requiring neither skill 
nor ingenuity in its exercise. The African, the 
Hiudostanee, or the European, who perhaps 
never knew the use of a plantation hoe, soon 
becomes arc'’tainted with its work, placed along 


side or a native laborer- S uine rare and conn¬ 
'd oration are however, due to this portion of ma¬ 
nagement: by the individual who directs its per¬ 
formance. Established fields in 4ry climates, 
do not need more than two weedings a year— 
before and after crop: but in a wet climate, 
three or four are requisite. In my opinion, the 
system of scraping away at fields so repeatedly 
—particularly on hill side lands, has tended 
much to impoverish them, and wash away the 
upper soil; and the exposure of the latter to the 
vertical rays of the sun, immediately after a 
cleaning, is apt to render the land stiff, and 
more or less, a portion of its nutritive powers, 
is thus withdrawn. The weeds, which are taken 

out bv the hoe. form an excellent manure—- 
*/ 

they should therefore be heaped up beside the 
tree, to admit of decomposition, arid at the next 
cleaning, the mould thus obtained, carefully ap¬ 
plied to the roots of the tree. I knew a pro¬ 
perty, where it had been customary for years 
to heap up the weeds in the centre of the 
roads, till a regular mound was established, and 
the trees appeared as if planted in trenches. An 
observing planter, who subsequently succeeded 
to the management of the property, enquired the 
.cause of this strange appearance on the surface 
of the land, and on being informed of the cir¬ 
cumstances attending it, directed the mould to 
be dug down, and the roots of the trees well 
moulded up with the loose earth. This was ac¬ 
cordingly done, and a most wonderful result was 
the consequence. The field soon presented a 
blooming aspect, in the richness of a luxuriant 
tbi>Age, and as nature was so far assisted in her 
workings, so wa- she bountiful in her gifts—the 


( 27 ) 

property made large crops for a st vies of' year? iu 
succession. 

The manuring of old field' with » view to 
their renovation* forms an essentia! portion of 
their cultivation, and to which little attention 
was formerly bestowed. As I before observed, 
when new lands were abundant, the momenta 
field began to show symptoms ol age. it was 
thrown up, to give place to a new plantation ; 
but, in late years, since the scarcity, indeed, the 
total want of woodland, has been so severely ex¬ 
perienced, it has been deemed expedient to re- 
sort to manuring and nursing of the old fields* 
And since the application of guano has been 
tried, and its powers as a renovator to the soil 
made known, planters have expended some care 
and attention, and applied their skill to the 
regeneration of old properties. But as the Guano 
is a verv expensive manure (considering its 
carriage to high properties) and as its proper¬ 
ties do not prove to be of so durable a. nature, 
as was anticipated, it bns occurred to me that 
a cheaper and more efficacious manure might be 
obtained by ordinary means on plantations ; such 
as the penning of slock, and obtaining their 
excrement, the saving of the Coffee pulp ari( f 
of the fan trash. A combination of the proper- 
lies of the three manures, proves a most ei- 
fectual renovator to a declining soil; a fact 
which is to be evidenced in the richness and 
luxuriance of the trees, whenever the Coffee 
pulp or trash ha*- been washed about their root* 
by the rains. I have repeatedly tried this 
manure on old fields under my own superinten- 
danee, and applied it after this manner.—Every 
laborer takes a hoe with him to the beid, and 


I 


2>i 


(ji<jf 3 a srna.il trench or cavity, above the rout* 
of the trees and then inserts the manure, which 
is covered by the loose earth. The first heavy 

shower of rain is sure to wash the manure into 

the roots of the tree, and the latter derives ail 
its benefits by a suction of the quantity so ap¬ 
plied. But if the people be allowed their own 
way, they are too apt to insert the manure 
beneath the tree, and thus it is washed away, 
and its suction drawn to the centre of the row 
to generate weeds, without benefiting the object 
for which it was intended. 

On properties where there are Water works, 
the Coffee pulp is generally carried away, by 

means of a small wooden gutter, into the cut 
way, where the water wheel plays ; and the 

fan trash in most instances, is blown away from 
the fanner into the other cut way where the 
water wheel which turns the grinding mill, plays. 
This system, to sav the least of if, is a great 
waste and should be abandoned The Coffee pulp 
should be returned to fhe soil, whose nutritive 
powers have been called into action to generate 
it, in the same manner as the cane trash is 
returned r.o the soil on estates. 

The indications of bearing are usually to be 
seen in a swelling of the joints, and the hang¬ 
ing down of the leaves, whence the bud issues. 
The blossom has been kept in this state for 
weeks, aye months, from dry weather; but the 
moment a shower of rain falls, with astonish¬ 
ing rapidity, the bud shoots, and in two days 
after, the field will present one mass of snowv 
whiteness—the fragrance of which is grateful to 
the olfactory nerve.*, and the whole scene im¬ 
parts pleasure and satisfaction. 



•J‘4 


lake other trait trees, the Coffee is acted upon 
■by the seasons, and the iate and early blossoms 
become contingent upon them. In warm dis¬ 
tricts the March blossom is most calculated on — 
although expectations for a crop are not given 
over, till May has passed away, in the colder 
regions blossoming may commence in March or 
May, which is considered early ; but July and. 
August give strongest and most general blossoms, 
1 have, however, seen large blossoms in Septem¬ 
ber and October, such being the peculiar changes 
brought about by the seasons. Three good blos¬ 
soms are usually looked for, but 1 have known 
good crops, made ot one heavy and regular 
blossom. 

Coffee blossoms shoot out in bunches, not un¬ 
like those of the Spanish Jasmine—but they 
decay in the course of two days, when the fruit 
is supposed to be set, and formed upon each 
blossom—the latter either drying, or, in heavy 
rams, falling off the tree. In cold climates the 
fields will be seen for months in a continual 
spitting blossom, and yet no fruit results—as 
the blossoms are chilled previous to set- 
tine:: and sometimes the young fruit, after be- 
ing formed, becomes chilled, turns black, and 
drops off. 

In warm climates the fruit advances rapidly, 
and in the < ourse of a month will have grown 
to the size of a small pea; but in could loca¬ 
lities, two months will elapse before it has ar¬ 
rived at that stage. While the fruit is young 
till the kernel begins to form, it will resist the 
influence of dry weather; but after that period 
n droops and feels much the want of moisture 
as if nature, at that particular juncuire* required 



30 

.some assistauce, in her efforts to bring the fn»:t 
to perfection. 

From the time ol‘ the blossom to the reaping 
of the fruit, seven months may he allotted as 
the probationary term; but I have seen a crop 
gathered in from a six months' blossom, when 
the seasons have been favorable; and, in the 
upper mountain?, 1 have known fruit to be 
reaped in from an eight, months’ blossom 

The Coffee begins to ripen in warm districts 
in August—but in cold places in February, at 
which period the former crop is finished, whilst, 
in the latter it lasts to August. 

On the Manufacture of Coffee. 

The manufacture ' of this staple eo modi tv. with 
a view to its improvement in quality, is a sub¬ 
ject, which demands our serious attention, and 
when we observe the vast importance and pecu¬ 
niary advantage which accrue upon the slightest 
shade of improvement either in colour or appear¬ 
ance, it becomes the more imperative on us to 
use all those means which are available, in order 
to place ourselves on a footing with the foreign 
grower. It is true that we are unable to enter 
the contest with the East Indian or slave culti¬ 
vation, from the abundance and cheapness o 
labor, which is placed at their command: bu 
by means of our skill and assiduity, we can suc¬ 
cessfully compete with them by the manufacture 
of superior produce. 



To this 

portion of 

plantation 

management, 

L 

ha 

ve given 

an attentive 

enquiry. 

an d 

*?haU short! 


pr 

</reed to 

>tafe tny v 

tews on 

the 

system be? 

?r. 

ad 

apted to the curing 

and prep; 

iring 

for mark' 

• r, 

of 

good ■ | 

ualitv prodm 

p 





I f (V i 

it "h-.i|!ii lv- 

glt\t :<?( 

1 iu 

w hen : •.! 

a 


Hi*>od ripe state, to aul appearance like cherries. 
The laborers are principally accustomed to reap 
the crop in baskets, cl winch they carry two to 
the nelti ; and when the coffee is bearing hea¬ 
vily, and is at its full stage of ripeness, tiie good 
pickers will gather in lour bushels per diem— 
and carry the same on their heads to the works. 

The fruit h then measured and thrown into a 
loft above the pulper in a heap. It should be 
submitted to the first process of machinery-—the 
pulper—within twenty four hours after, if not 
immediately—but it not unfrequently happens 
that the manager is unable to pulp his coffee 
for two and sometimes three days, by which 
time fermentation ensues, and it becomes impos¬ 
sible after pulping, to wash off the mucilage, 
which rather adheres to the outer envelope of 
the berry, and gives the produce what is ter¬ 
med a “red” or u blankety' appearance, when 
pread out on the Barbacues. The produce is let 
down, by means of a small hole cut into the 
floor of the loft, on a floating box, into the hop¬ 
per of the pulper, and by means of a grater 
forcing the fruit against the chops, the berries 
are dislodged from the pulp, and fall upon a 
sieve, which being shook by the machinery lets 
the benders fail into the cistern—whilst the gra¬ 
ter catches the pulp, and carries it backwards, 
at each evolution- of the roller, around winch it 
h encircled. 

The fruit which may have passed through 
without being more than half squeezed, and have 
ing only ejected one berry, is then returned, 
(after being shaken off by the sieve,) into the 
hopper, to undergo the prove-' a second lime. 
The pulped Coffee v ! !>*• i* re rim *<•< to i-meo 


in the cistern for a day and a night dm ug 
which period it undergoes a process of fermen¬ 
tation,—it is then washed out in two or three 
waters, and the whole of the mucilaginous stuff 
which had risen hom the berry by 1'ermeniacion- 
is entirely washed off, and the Coffee presents a 
beautiful white appearance. From this the pro¬ 
duce is returned out to drain In a barbaeue, 
sloped so as to throw all the water to the cen¬ 
tre, where a drain is placed to carry it all off. 

It an hour or so after, the Coffee may be re¬ 
moved to the. barbacues for curing,—it is there 
spread out thinly, and exposed to the sun, 
which, if shining strong, will, in eight or nine 
hours, absorb all the water, and the Coffee be 
tit. for housing that day. I say lit for housing, 
because I have repeatedly seen Coffee washed 
out early in the morning, and put up the same 
evening*. I cannot say 1 approve of the system, 
though in fine weather it has been attended with 
success. From the time the Coffee is first ex¬ 
posed to the sun till the silver skin starts, is 
the stage, in my opinion, during which the pro¬ 
duce suffers most injury. In the first instance, 
it should be kept constantly turned, in order to 
get the water absorbed as early as possible; and 
after it has been housed, the greatest precaution 
should be taken to prevent its heating; and it 
is for this I disapprove of early housing, 
for if wet weather should intervene, and the Cof¬ 
fee cannot be turned out, it is sure to get heated. 
From this neglect, I have seen a perfect steam 
rising from the house in the morning when the 
doors have been opened, and T have known, as 
a natural consequence, the adhesion of the silver 
skin fo the berry so firmly tWH it epuld mot l>* 


( 33 ') 

removed by a sharp pen-knife, without slicing 
the berry., 

In a series of wet weather the produce has re¬ 
mained on the barbacues for several weeks, 
without the slightest advance in curing; and, 
unless it be frequently turned, while in this wet 
state, it is sure to grow,—the berries first swell, 
then a thin white spire isssues from the seam, 
and on opening the berry, the young leave* 
will be actually seen formed inside'—so rapid is 
the course of vegetation. 

I am of opinion that Coffee should not bo 
housed, till the silver skin begins to start, when 
no danger can ensue; for if a few wet days 
should intervene, by turning the Coffee over in 
the house, and allowing a current of air to 
pass through it, it will keep four weeks. It is 
at this stage that the parchment skin begins to 
show itself; for at first, it adheres to the inner 
kernel; but the beat of the sun starts it from, 
its hold, and it separates—thus on shaking a 
handful of the produce, it will be heard to rat¬ 
tle—a sure indication, that the silver skin lias 
risen from the bean, without even threshing it 
to ascertain the fact. The bean is perfectly 
white, till the silver skin starts—it then begins 
gradually to assume the dark, or what is called 
the half cured appearance. A good day’s strong 
sun will then half cure it, and by subsequent 
exposure, the produce takes another stage, and 
gradually loses the half cured, and assumes a 
blue color—and when the produce is properly 
cured, and fit for the mil), not the slightest dark 
spot will be perceptible in the bean, but it will 
exhibit a tinny blue color 

It is within my observation^ that Coffee has 


been gathered from the field on the Monday, 
and prepared for market on the Saturday, in 
a spell of dry weather: I have known it also 
to lay on the Barbacues for as many weeks in 
contrary weather, before it had gone through 
the same ordeal. With good weather and smooth 
terraces whereon to cure, nothing but gross 
and unpardonable carelessness, can produce 
bad quality of coffee. The difficulty ari¬ 
ses in wet weather, when one’s skill and assi¬ 
duity is called into action, to save the produce 
from being spoiled. After Coffee has been half 
cured, the putting it up hot at an early period 
of the day, has the effect of curiug it all night. 
I have noticed produce housed in this manner, 
and requiring another day’s exposure to fit it 
for the mill. 

The Barbacues should be kept in good or» 
der—all ruts and holes neatly patched every crop, 
for to them and other roughnesses is to be at- 
attributed the peeling of the berries, their being 
scratched, and other injuries which the produce 
sustains. And while on the subject of “ Works 19 
I cannot help noticing the extreme carelessness 
and inattention which, in visiting properties, the 
works and buildings present to our view. It is 
utterly impossible to manufacture go^d produce, 
unless the machinery and buildings are kept in 
good order, and the parsimony which is thus 
displayed in this necessary outlay is fallacious, 
when one thinks of the result, of one or two 
eh-illings per lOOlbs. lost on a n f . Tirough this 
neglect. 

When tlie crop is perfectly i, which is 

generally ascertained f . thresh? 4 out a few 
berries in one’s bauds, if it has at- 


( 35 ) 

iaincd its heavy blue color—it is then fit fot 
milling, which is the second process of machi¬ 
nery which it has to undergo. Here the parch¬ 

ment and silver skins, are dislodged from the 
berry, by means of the friction of a large rol¬ 
ler passing over the produce in a wooden trough, 
It is then taken out of the trough, and sub¬ 
mitted to the fanner, or winnowing machine, 

when the trash is all blown away and the 
coffee passing two or three sieves comes away 
perfectly clean, and partially sized. From this it 
is again served in order to size it properly, 
hand-picked, put into bags, and sent on mules' 
backs to the barquadier. It is then put into 
tierces, and sold in the Kingston Market, or 
shipped to Britain. 

A variety of circumstances tend to injure the 
quality of the coffee, which it is beyond hu¬ 
man agency to control. Dry weather interven¬ 
ing at the particular period, when the berry is 
getting full, subjects it to be stinted and shri¬ 
velled, and strong dry breezes happening at the 
same period, will cause an adhesion of the 
silver skin, which the ordinary process of cur¬ 
ing and manufrcture will not remove. Late 
discoveries in the latter, have however, shown 
the possibility of divesting the produce of that 
silvery appearance when brought about under the 
foregoing circumstances. It is almost unneces¬ 
sary to state that this improvement in manu¬ 
facture refers to the inventions of Messrs. Myers 
aod Meacock, whose respective merits have 
already uudergone public revision. In reference 
to Mr. Myer’s plan of immersing coffee in warm 
water I may be allowed to state, that it has 
come under my own observation, that produce 


( 36 ) 

which had previously been heated through some 
carelessness in the curing, subsequently was ex¬ 
posed to a slight sprinkling of rain, and when 
ground out, and fanned, was found to have lost 
its silvery appearance. 

To the invention of Mr. Meacock, a prefer¬ 
ence has, however, been given, in consequence 
of the impression that the produce thus im¬ 
mersed in water, will absorb a portion of the 
liquid, which wall deteriorate its quality in its 
passage across the Atlantic. Several Gentle¬ 
men have shipped coffee submitted to this pro¬ 
cess to England, but I have not learnt the 
result. 

I do not mean, however, in this essay to enter 
into a disquisition of the merits of the res¬ 
pective claimants to this beneficial invention in 
manufacture. Suffice is to say, it appears very 
manifest that a great deal might be done in the 
w r ay of machinery, to relieve produce of that 
silvery and foxy appearances, which are so pre¬ 
judicial to its value in the British market, and 
which appearances might accrue from a variety 
of incidents, to which all plantations are more or 
less subject. 

A manifest preference is given in the leading 
European markets to Coffee which has gone through 
the pulping and washing process ; but strange 
to say, the consumers of this beverage are 
totally ignorant of the fact, that the prodneo 
which is cured in the pulp, furnishes a stronger 
decoction, than an equal quantity of the same, 
which has undergone the other process. Many 
persons are of opinion, that the mucilaginous 
substance which is washed off in pulping, is 
absorbed by the bean, when cured in the pulp, 


/ 37 ) 


and which gives strength to the produce, and 
enhances its aromatic flavour. On most pro¬ 
perties, it had been customary, to cure the 
remnants of the crop in this way, for the use 
of the plantation ; and it has been well noticed 
by great epicures in the flavor of the decoction,' 
that the Coffee thus cured, produced the strongest 
and best beverage. 

With regard to the use of Coffee as a beve¬ 
rage, it has had its admirers and detractors. In 
the East, it 1ms been the subject of many a 
ridiculous controversy. The Turks believe that 
the infusion of Coffee was invented by the An¬ 
gel Gabriel, to restore the health of their Pro¬ 
phet, Mahomet. In Europe, it has been pro¬ 
nounced by some as injurious to health, whilst • 

others talk of its virtues with enthusiasm; but 
the extended use of this beverage in Europe 
during the last ten years is of itself sufficient 
testimony of its salutary qualities, and must 
negative the assertions of its detractors. On 
chemical analysis, it has been found to contain 
an acid or gummy substance, a resinous and 
astringent extract, a considerable proportion of 
oil, and some ammonia and other salts. The 
action of fire destroys its crude and watery 

taste, and renders the oil empyreumatic. When 
prepared for the table, it has established for 
itself, the character of aiding digestion, and 
has a marked effect on the nervous system, in 
removing Jangour and drowsiness, end in favor¬ 
ing a pleasant cheerfulness, friendly to socia¬ 
lity, wit, and good humour. The Turks 

on going to batfle, or on any emergency, ern^ 
ploy opium to excite their spirits, a;.d to stea_ 
dy th.ir courage,—to relieve the langour con„ 


( 38 ) 

sequent thereon, Coffee is the specific which 

*hey employ. 

The Orientals prepare their infusion very 

thick, and drink it very warm, without milk 
or sugar, merely flavored with some aromatic 
or perfume. The Persians used to prepare an 
infusion from the dried berry, without removing 
the pulp. The Turks again preserve the pulp 
after it has been separated from the seed, and 
having dried it, procure from it an agreeable 

beverage, resembling tea. They also use an 
infusion of the seed, without being roasted— 
or they roast it, but preserve the berry en¬ 
tire in the infusion 

The most common mode now generally a- 
dopted for preparing Coffee for the table, is to 
roast the berries in an open iron vessel, over 

an equal slow fire, and kept constantly turned 

during the process. It ought to be withdrawn 

from the fire, so soon as the smell informs 
us that the Coffee has begun to burn, and when 
it has acquired a color not unlike that of to¬ 
bacco. It ought then to be cooled a3 rapidly 
as possible, by exposing it freely to the air 
in some cool vessel. When perfectly cold, it 
is to be placed in the mill, and ground to a 

fine power—which, infused in boiling water, 
in the proportion of half an ounce to two ounces 
of water, produces a most delightful and agree¬ 
able beverage. 


APPENDIX. 


[In re-printing Marah’s useful Essay w© 
have determined to add to its value by 
appending a few articles of more or less 
interest in connection with the Coffee 
Trade of Ceylon; and which, in a collec¬ 
ted form, will be useful for reference. 

Editors Colombo Observer.] 

{From the Colombo Observer y March 19, 1849T 

CHICORY. 

To a Mercantile Friend we are indebted 
for permission to copy a document of the 
highest interest to our Planting friends 
and indeed to every one connected with 
Ceylon. There is no escape from the po¬ 
sition taken by the Memorialists:—that 
so long as the Customs duty on Coffee 
is retained, an equivalent excise ought to 
be levied on its competitor. 

“London, 1st January, 1849. 

With reference to the present anomalous 
position of Coffee, as exhibited in the an¬ 
nexed account, we beg to give the sub¬ 
stance of a Memorial now before the Lords 
of the Treasury and the Board of Trade, 
tracing it to the footing on which Chi¬ 
cory is at present 'placed, and suggesting 
the remedies, that without any further 
delay, ought to be applied. 





( 40 ) 


5C la Sugar, according to the annexed 
Table, a fall in price since i'844, of 26 
per cent, has been attended by an increase 
in the consumption of 46 per cent. In 
Coffee on the contrary, with a reduction 
in the price since 1846, of 15 to 22 per 
cent, on duty paid descriptions, the con¬ 
sumption has not only not increased at a 
corresponding rate, but has for the last 
three years come to a complete stand still, 
being last year only 38.85 million lbs., 
that is to say no more than in 1846, and 
g of a million lbs. less than in 1847. The 
revenue derived from Coffee has in con¬ 
sequence also fallen off from £756,838 in 
1846, to about £710,069 in 1848. Dur¬ 
ing these three years, there has, with prices 
almost stationary, been some increase in 
the consumption of Cocoa and Tea. In 
the former it has progressed from 2 96 
million lbs. in 1846, to 3-96 million lbs, 
last year. In Tea, as the increase in the. 
consumption which last year exhibits is 
more apparent than real, it will be fairer 
to take the average of the last two years, 
which is 47*42 million lbs. or about H 
per cent, more than in 1846. It will be 
seen that, although, even with stationary 
prices, there has been some increase in 
the consumption of these kindred articles, 
it is not by any means of such a charac¬ 
ter as in the slightest degree to account 
for the falling off in Coffee.” 

i$ To what then is owing the change 


( 41 ) 

that appears recently to have overtaken 
an article which, ever since 1784, has, 
more than any other, furnished our poli¬ 
tical economists with stilting instances in 
proof of the now generally received doc¬ 
trine, that every well considered reduction 
in the Import duties, will, by the increase 
in the consumption which follows it, even¬ 
tually compensate the revenue for any 
temporary sacrifice it may have submitted 
to in this process?’’ 

ec The cause of that change is sufficiently 
notorious, and the history of it is this:- 
In Germany the root of the Chicorium 
Iatybus , L. or Succory, a species of En¬ 
dive, indigenous also to our island, has 
for the last forty years been prepared and 
sold on a large scale as a cheap substitute 
for Coffee. From Germany it was, thus 
prepared, subsequently also introduced in¬ 
to this country ; but as a duty was levied 
upon it equal to that which Coffee paid, 
and as by 3 Geo. IV. cap. 53, the. sale 
of any roasted vegetable substance in imi¬ 
tation of Coffee was, under a penalty of 
£50., restricted to persons not being dealers 
in Coffee; the interest of our grocers was 
not then enlisted in pushing it into any 
extensive use. The import duty on Foreign 
Chicory Fd, however, in time, to the cul¬ 
tivation of that root here, and when in 
this way a supply of it , free of any duty , 
Fad grown up, means were found in Au¬ 
gust, 1840, to procure a Treasury order 


(42) • 

authorizing the Excise, for the future not 
to object to grocers selling Chicory, or 
mixing it with Coffee. The effect of this 
abrogation of the 3 Geo. IV., cap. 53, 
was speedily felt, and induced the impor¬ 
ters of Coffee in 1842 to complain of it 
to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. These 
representations however, unfortunately, had 
not the desired result, and the consequence 
is, that under the operation of the active 
demand on the part of the dealers, the 
produce of Native, duty free , Chicory, 
which Mr. McCulloch in 1842 estimated 
at 6 72 million lbs., has since at least 
doubled, and is to that extent now en¬ 
croaching on the consumption of Coffee." 

“And this is only what might have been 
expected, for while home-grown kiln-dried 
Chicory can be delivered at 2| per lb. to 
the wholesale dealers, the average price of duty- 
paid Coffee is from 7d. to 9|d. per lb. Ac¬ 
cordingly, even respectable grocers add at 
least 2-oz. of Chicory to 14 of Coffee,, while 
others make the mixture half and half. The 
most experienced officers of the Excise esti¬ 
mate the average proportion of Chicory in 
what is sold in the London shops for Coffee, 
at one third; in the manufacturing towns in 
the country it is said to be fully one half. 
What further portion of pure Chicory is else¬ 
where added to the mixture, it is impossible 
to say; but it is fact, that those descriptions 
of Coffee which will bear the greatest admix¬ 
ture of Chicorv, such as Costa Rica and Ja- 
vaj enjoy, on that account, a marked pre- 


( 43 ) 


ferenee in the market, greatly to the detri¬ 
ment of the more delicately flavored Cevlon 
Coffie" 

“ r lhe interests of the public,, of the colo¬ 
nists. and of the revenue, therefore alike re¬ 
quin that the above cited Act of 1822, 3 Geo. 
IV. 3ap. 53, which has never been formally 
repealed, should again be put in full force. It 
is trie that this interference with Chicory has 
been vaguely deprecated, on the plea that it is 
a “lative product ,'* but so is the leaf of the 
sloe, and so would Tobacco be, if the cultiva¬ 
tion of that plant here had not been put a 
stop to. In these cases, the legislature has 
seen fit to decree proscriptions against “na¬ 
tive products/’ and thei'e is, therefore, nothing 
repignant to the principle on which our le¬ 
gislation has hitherto proceeded in such matters 
in kting the 3 Geo. IV. cap. 53, take 
its curse—that course, be it observed, invol¬ 
ving no proscription of the Chicory, but mere¬ 
ly a regulation of its sale .—Another plea in 
favor of Chicory has been drawn from ils 
alledgd wholesomeness, which has been mm 'n 
adverzed in Germany. The truth is that it 
is simly diuretic, and the habitual use of it 
must r eaken in proportion to its power of ac¬ 
tion. Tis refers to genuine Chicory, but wli at is 
sold tethe retaileras such is a mixture , against 
the whlesomeness of which the very strong¬ 
est preemption is justifiable, and the most 
rospectale wholesale houses have felt this so 
strongly, as to induce them to take into their 
own hats the manufacture of the Chicory 
which tly sell, purchasing themselves the root 
and kiln-vying it on their own premises. 


{ 44 ) 

“ Estimating the proportion in which Chico¬ 
ry at present enters into what is sold a* Cof¬ 
fee, at the low rate of one third, it follows that, 
along with the 36*85 millions lbs. of coffee 
consumed last year, 12 28 millions lbs. of Chi- 
cory have been sold. If the sale of Ciicory 
should again, in conformity with 3 Geo. IV'. 
cop. 53, be restricted to persons, vot >eing 
vendors of Coffee, and taking out an atnunl 
license for that purpose, the consumers iould 
again be left to make their own mixtuie of 
these two ingredients. In that case, it i. be¬ 
lieved, that they would at most, mix only 
half as much Chicory with their coffee a the 

- v 

grocers at present do. The effect wouh be, 
that about six millions lbs. less of Chijory, 
hut the same quantity more of Coffee would 
he consumed ; consequently, that our (p flee 
growers would find a vent for six million lbs. 
more of their produce here, and that a ad¬ 
ditional annual revenue of at least £ 10,000 
would flow into the Exchequer, the curent of 
-which has for the present been diverted into 
other channels.” 

“lint being the case it is difficult fediseo- 
voi' on what grounds it can possibly any lojfer he 
declined, to give renewed effect to the3 Geo. 

I V., cap. 53, the suspension Gf whichhas al¬ 
ready operated so very mischievously./ 

“But though this would go some wawowards 
setting matters right, it would not hy any 
means meet the case fully. So far as/he pub¬ 
lic and the revenue are concerned, (is ques¬ 
tion may he one of mere expedient; but as 
.icgords the Colonists, it is essential’ one of 
d.-inciple. Justice towards them obeudy de- 


( « ) 

mantis, that these our fellow subjects should he 
placed on the same footing as the cultivators 
of Chicory at home, and that, therefore, the 
-Excise should levy the same duty on home¬ 
grown Chicory, as the Customs do on British 
Plantation Coffee,while Foreign Chicory ought 
to pay the same duty as Foreign Coffee. This 
is so clearly the case,—is so necessary a con¬ 
sequence of our whole present system of co¬ 
lonial and commercial policy, and would at the 
same time, bo attended by fiscal results so 
acceptable, that it is needless to do 
more than merely enounce the proposi¬ 
tion, in order to obtain a general assent to it. 
In the case of Sugar, Parliament has, in fact, 
ever since 1837, recognized and acted on the 
principle of it. By the 1 Vic. cap. 57, the same 
duty was imposed on home-made Sugar from 
Beer-root, as on British Plantation Sugar from 
the Cane, and by 3 and 4 Vic. cap. 57, the 
application of the former act was extended to 
home-made Sugar from any substance whatever. 
That- fact must he regarded as settling the 
question, for no one will argue that our Coffee 
plan ten's are not entitled to the same measure of 
justice os our Sugar planters, and granting this 
is to grant all that is here contended for. 

—“The present duty oh Foreign raw-or kiln- 
•thied Ciiicory is 20s. per Cwt., and on roasted 
or ground ditto, 6d. per lb., and the clearances 
for consumption of it in London amounted in 
1847 to | of a million lbs., and last year to § 
of a million lbs. yielding a very insignificant 
revenue.—The gross excise duty collected on home- 
made Sugar at the rate of 24s. per Cut. up to 
April, 1845, and 14s. subsequently, averaged 


( 46 ) 


1838 to 1840, £G1., and 1841 to 1846, £4,540. 
a year, but fell in 1847 to £169.—An Excise 
duty equal to 4d. per lb. on home*<rrown roasted 
Chicory, would either produce not far from 
£200,000, annually, or, if it checked the con¬ 
sumption of Chicory, the blank would be filled up 
either by British Plantation Coffee, paying 4d, 
or, by Foregn Coffee paying 6d, per lb. Cus¬ 
tom’s duty. In either way the revenue would be 
benefited to a very considerable amount.” 

JAMES COOK & Co. 

40, Mincing Lane, 


(From the Colombo Observer March 29) 
EXPORT OF COFFEE. 
Memorandum of Coffee exported from Ceylon 
from the year 1836 to 1S48, inclusive. 


Year. 



Quantity, 

1836 . 



60,329 

1837 . 



43,164 

1838. 



49,541 

1839 . 



41,863 

1840 . 



63.162 

1841. 



80,684 

1842 . 



119.805 

1843 . 



94,847 

1844 . 



133 957 

1845 .. 



178,603 

1846 .. 



173,892 

1847 -. 



293,220 

1848 . 


. 

279,715 




(From the Colombo Observer March 22 ,), 























COPPER ANR CHICORY. 

Our readers will be interested l>v the folio win nr elaborate Rtav.i.pnf m- ,t,„ tv,,,.,* n .• , „ 

by Messrs James Cook & Co. the London Brokers, ami printed with similar lu . / ''t ' ^ .'Ottsumplion _Coffee, framed 

from which we copied the Article on Cbiccory in oar last. Jr will be" seen that'tier . 1 i n ^ a / aiH ) Cocoa, m the Circular 
into Great Britain—it has gone on steadily from 41J Millions of lbs. in" 1842 'u V®ai^u** 6 ° .^ cfee 

consumption of Coffee in Britain that, the startling fact of a dead stand and even a Ltl^ ft- •' n °'. s , ,n ., 4 * * * * * *' ! 13 * * * * * , ni ,be 

the cause, and we believe the Colombo Chamber of Commerce held a’*Meetimr of, „/* g V,sifcle * { JllC( ; or y 19 evidently 

made at home on this subject. But the Meeting 0 f the Ch unber like -.11 itsTw^ ni0nth S, " (> 10 ' ecomJ ^he representions 
left in the dark as to the' action taken or recommended. Mh mmrtant f, l.if’ ""J ***{? T' *7* the . PubHc T 
subject that is available, we reprint below the article on Ohioenrv in fhTl / rP - T ,0 S ,jth< :[ » l the information on the 
t*4«.ary, the to*,, ,l„eA,s wrong in t.lk",g „f “ ur round^o™ ra"" °' '“ h ‘ « ctionary-A local con- 

been that it would be » great hardship to deprive people of a mixture which long LT Thera to^l.ke 5 '"Tnd“of wk$! 
the worst that can now be said is, that it s a T) ,,L „ ir i . , ®, e lld 1Ui . era T0 ilKe > a " a or wnic,) 

ece how the law can step in to aid outraged Naturf wh £ P t h? l ° ta £® U ] S * T' aI>fl,ie9 of diuretics, we do not well 

with the vilest Alcoholic compounds. But it j, jj m olew^hlS o.^° I" ay e ^ ourM S«f i * to P 0, * 0n . ,hemsc 

they retain the enormous Customs duly to r,H J th. r£ T i , a Le g lslator9 at Hoi »e have no business, while 

permit in the case of Tea, Tobacco 'or JW. Vo cJeTr.f ,h ® "*"7 <>f a "' h ' ch ""7 wi l 

inand, 0R the principles of the leqislatiol in force tintan l ’ “ ^'L l l' 7 ,* . Cu * tom<i dut y° f4d to (id P er Ib *. Ci "* de ’ 

the consumers of Coffee Ll the™?/,.SJ,1 „ d . , qUal cxc, ' e , shuuld S? ev ,ed on Cbiccory. But the lovers of Chiccory 


ihe consumers of Coffee and the people of iWhn ] , , 1 exc ^ e . sn ‘' uia »?« evied on Cbiccory. But the lovers of Chiccory 

justice, (principles to which Statesmen of late have U„n J ’ ■ m ° St ‘V'? " l11, step in W1,h the P rtnC, P les °f natural 

fields—clean against common sense and the spirit of fhe yi ^ ,d ; ) .. an . tl sa 7 : — 19 monstrous to talk of grubbing up Chic-cor- 
the heavy Customs impost. J.et it, by all'means L 1 ££1 , ^ q^'e nght that Coffee should be aL once relieved from 

The loss of Revenue must bo made up by retrenchment^ - T® Ih® ° 7 Pe ‘ , , l ,' le J food come in free ’ or , at ,. £ 
to us that, for such a continent,™ «l .„L ,0 ^ h ' S , complexion the matter ‘may comeat Ia<t ; 


a trifl ng duly. 


to us that, for such a contingency,' alf who* atfiVX'ThT'™! • \° ™ ,s com P lex,on ' the matter ‘may comeat la<t”; and ic seems 
who insist that they who protess^o sell „ure° Coffee shMiH I sl,0U fl bo 1'jepared. At the fame time, we go fully with those 

Chiccory or any other substance with Code is legalised he retailers bLci'o "l pr ° f V^ ions « re fal9C “ that lf . th e mixture of 
tide they sell; thus: “Bure Ceylon Coffee for those who I ke it S i t r !h • "r Wrly and fully to desenbe he ar- 
corv lOd per lb.” Such a r,,,,™ wm. 1,1 c- 3 , e , ic 19 Jd P er J b. — Ceylon ( off e mixed with ^ ot good Clue- 

The 1 * 1 'vv does not say “You shall sell your flh ToafP rinei P le '• f “'ly carried out in the article of Bread. 

good wl,eaten Hour, we shall pujfV» fcr A wel t or'^ ’° ** \ lo,f 41b. of 

1 J ^eignt or tiie mixture ot inferior or deleterious eubstances. 


G O I.’ F E E, (United Kingdom.) 

P rice, Cons umption, I mport, and Revenue, for the Years 1842 to 1848, inclusive. 



18- 

12. 

- i 

1843. 

1844. 

1845. 

1846. 

1847. 

1818. 

/ British Possessions ft 

Custom? 1 

Duty 

\ Foreign .lb J 

| 

' 1 
- . i 

l 

to 9 th July, 
e 3 d 

D I0 

ttnportfrl from R. p i 
in E. I., not pro- [• 
duce thereof. 3 

i co 

Imported fr„ m f or . * 
sign E. 1. f * 

t H | 

( CO i 

OtherForeign . ■; 

from 9 th. July . 
4£d- 

l 8l 4 - 

41 d. 

4|d. 

6i 0 d. 

4Jd. 

6iV- 

41 a. 

6/ 0 d. 

4G1. 

6/ 0 d- 

41 d. 

o 

6/ 0 d. 

to 6th J une. from 6th J une. 

8 2 5 d. 6/ 0 d. 

r 

; 

Average price of Ceylon. . f Native.... j ^ 

in Bond '(Plantation . )- ^ ^ 

7Jd. 

lOd. 

5R 

8|d. 

6d. 

8.1J. 

5L1. 

7Jd. 

5d. 

7|d. 

4d. 

6|d. 

3d. 

5gd* 

Average price of Ceylon.. j Native. ) 

Duty Paid ( Plantation .j - v 

Consumption . 5 British Possessions.lbs. 

(Foreign.. 

Total .lbs. 

Is. 2d. 

Is. 4d. 

9|d. 

Is. IJd. 

101. 

Is. id. 

9i d. 

liid. 

91. 

ll|d. 

8<1. 

10|d. 

7d. 

9i(J. 

Millions lbs. 

17-80 

11-22 

million lbs. 

20-13 

9-85 

nillions lbs. 

19 53 
11-82 

millions lbs. 

20-79 

13-50 

raillion® lbs 

2 3 76 
13- 

nillions lbs. 

27 03 
10-44 

millions lbs. 

•AJ38 

7-47 

28-52 

29-98 

31-35 

34-29 

36-76 

37-47 

36 85 

Re vent 

ie ... 

£ 768,886 

£ 697,376 

£ 681,616 

£ 717,871 

£ 756,83c 

£ 747,165 

£ 710,063 


T,n nm*t I British Possessions..lbs 

P ° ..(Foreign.„ 

Total . lbs. 

millions lbs. 

20-48 

20-96 

million lbs. 

18-28 

20-66 

millions lbs. 

24-11 
22 41 

millions lbs. 

23-23 

27-14 

millions lb>. 

24-28 

27.53 

nillions Ins. 

34-24 

21-15 

millions lbs. 

34-80 

2513 

41-44 

38-94 

46-52 

5037 

51-81 

55-39 

59-93 


(From Macculloch's Dictionary of Commerce.) 

CHICCORY or SUCCORY, the wild endive, or C ichorium lufybus of Linnseus. This plant is found growing wild on calcareous soils in England, 

and in most countries of Europe. In its natural state the siem rises from 1 to 3 feet high, hut when cultivated it shoots to the height of 5 or 

6 feet. The root, which runs deep into the ground, is white, fleshy, and yields a milky juice. In Germany, and in some parts of the Ne- 

xherlands and France, chiccory has long been extensively cultivated for the sake of its root, which is used as a substitute for coffee. When pre¬ 

pared on a large scale, the roots are partially dried, and sold to the manufacturers of the article, who wash them, cut them in pieces, kiln-dry 

them, and giind them between fluted rollers into a powder which is packed up in papers containing from 2 oz. to 3 or 4 lbs. The powder 

has a striking resemblance to dark ground coffee, and a strong odour of liquorice. It is largly used in Prussia, Brunswick, and other parts 

of Germany ; hut as it wants the essential oil and the rich aromatic flavour of coffee, it has little in common with the latter, except its colour, 

and has nothing to recommend it except its cheapness. 

Chiccory was formerly raised to some extent in England as an herbage plant, its excellence in this respect having been much insisted upon by 

the late Arthur Young. Latterly, however, chiccory has been largely subsistut.ed for coffee here, as well as on the Continent: and as foreign chiccory, 

when imported, pays a duty of Gd. per lb., while that raised at home pays no duty, its cultivation has been rapidly extended. It has. j n 

fact, been affirmed, by those best acquainted with the subject, that in 1842 the growth of British chiccory was little, if at all, short of 3,000 

tons! We need not, therefore, be surprised, considering the influence of this large and rapidly increasing supply of untaxed chiccory over the con¬ 

sumption of coffee and the revenue derived from it, that this subject has engaged a good deal of attention. We do not, however, think that it pre¬ 

sents any real difficulty. If a duty is to be laid on coffee, the interests of the consumer and oftlTe revenue alike require that ati equal duty should 
be laid on all articles used either as substitutes for coffee, or (which is the usual method of employing chiccory) as means of adulterating the lat¬ 
ter. We are well convinced that the substitution of chiccory for coffee has already occasioned a loss to the revenue of 100,0001. a year, besides its 
mischievous influence in adulterating and debasing a popular beverage. Thero cannot, therefore, as it appears to us, be a doubt that, if the culture 
of chiccory be permitted, it should be subjected to the same duty as coffee. Inasmuch, however, as the collection of the duty would be difficult, 
and much fraud and evasion would doubtless he practised, the better plan would be to follow the precedent set in the case of tobacco, by grubbing 
up the chiccory plantations, and making, at the same time, compensation to their owners. A measure of this sort would do justice to all par¬ 
ties, and would afford that ]irotection to the interests of the consumer and of the revenue which is indispensable: 






















































































































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V 

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( 47 ) ' 

( Extracts from the article “Coffee” 
in xMacCullocii’s Dictionary : 

Edition of 1847 .} 

Coffee (Ger. Koffee, Koffebohnen; Du. 
Kaffy , Koffibooncn ; Da. Kaffe, Kaffebofi¬ 
ner ; Sw, Koffe; Fr. It. ana Port. Cafe; 
Sp. Cafe; Kus. Kofe; Pol. Kawa ; Lat. 
Coffea , Caffea; Arab, Bun; Malay, Ka¬ 
wa; Pers. Tockem , Keweh ; Turk Chaube ), 
the berries of the coffee plant ( Coffea 
Arahica Lin.) They are generally of an 
oval form, smaller than a horse-bean, and 
of a tough, close, and hard texture; they 
are prominent on the one side and flat¬ 
tened on the other, having a deeply marked 
furrow running lengthwise along the flat¬ 
tened side; they are moderately heavy, 
of a greenish colour, and a somewhat bit¬ 
terish taste. 

Progressive Consumption of Coffee in 
Great Britain. Influence of the Duties .— 
In 11.60, a duty ot 4d a gallon was laid 
on all coffee made and sold. Previously 
to 1732, the duty on coffee amounted to 
2s a pound ; but an act was then passed 
in compliance with the solicitations of the 
West India planters, reducing the duty to 
Is 6d a pound ; at which it stood for ma¬ 
ny years, producing, at an average about 
£10,000 a year. In consequence, however, 
of the prevalence of smuggling, caused by 
the too great magnitude of the duty, the 
revenue declined, in 1783, to £2,8&9 10s 


( 48 ) 

lO^d. And it having been found impos¬ 
sible otheiwise to cheek the practice of 
clandestine importation, the duty was re¬ 
duced, in 1784, to 6J. The consequences 
ef this \vi 39 and salutary measure were 
most beneficial. Instead of being reduced, 
the revenue was immediately raised to near 
three times its previous amount, or to 
£7,200 15s 9d, showing that the consump¬ 
tion of legally imported coffee must have 
increased in about a ninefold proportion t 
—a striking and conclusive proof, as Mr. 
Bryan Edwards has observed, of the effect 
of heavy taxation in defeating its own 
object,— {Hist, oj the West Indies , voi. ii. p. 
340. 8vo. ed.) 

The history cf the coffee trade abounds 
with similar and even more striking ex¬ 
amples of the superior productiveness of 
low duties. In 1807, the duty was Is 9d 
a pound; and the quantity entered for 
home consumption amounted to 3,170,164 
lb?,, yielding a revenue of 161,2451, 11s. 4d. 
In 1808, the duty was reduced from Is. 8d. 
to 7d. ; and in 1809, no fewer than 9,251,847 
lbs, were entered for home consumption; 
yielding, notwithstanding the reduction of 
duty, a revenue of 245,8561, 8s. 4d. The 
duty having been raised, in 1819, from 7d. 
to Is. a pound, the quantity entered for 
home consumption, in 1824, was. 7,993,041 
Its., yielding a revenue of 407,5441. 4 ?. 3 i. 
If) 1824, however, the duty being again re¬ 
duced from Is, to Gd., the quantity entered 


( 49 ) 


for home consumption, in 1825, was 
10,766,112 lbs,, and in 1831 it had in¬ 
creased to 22,740,627 lbs , yielding a nett, 
revenue of 583,751£. 

The rapid increase in the consumption 
from 1825 to 1832 must not, however, be 
wholly ascribed to the reduction of the 
duty. This, no doubt, had the greatest 
influence ; hut a good deal is also owing 
to the low price of coffee from 1824 to 1830; 
and also to the great reduction during ihe 
same period in the price of low brown sugar 
(fully l|d.per pound), a cheap and abundant 
supply of which is so indispensable to the ex¬ 
tensive use of coffee. 

These statements, which are principally 
deduced from the accompanying account, 
JN T o. II. includes the United Kingdom, 
and is brought down to 1844. The most 
remarkable features in this account are 
the reduction of the duty on coffee from 
the East Indies and Ceylon to the same 
level as that on coffee from the West 
Indies, and the farther reduction of the 
duty on coffee from British possessions in 
1842 to 4 Id. per lb. The equalisation of 
the duty on East and West India coffee 
had become indispensable after the rapid 
decline in the supplies from the West Indies 
consequent to the emancipation of the slaves; 
for, a 3 foreign coffee is burdened with a high 
discriminating duty, the price of British cof¬ 
fee must otherwise have risen to such a 
height as materially to interfere with the 


( 50 ) 

consumption. The latter, indeed, has not 
increased since 1832, in the ratio which 
might have been expected from the in¬ 
creasing wealth and population of the coun¬ 
try, and, in fact, rather declined during 
the years 1840, 1841, and 1842. This re¬ 
sult was no doubt in part to be ascribed 
to the then comparatively depressed situa¬ 
tion of the manufacturing classes; but we 
believe that it was mainly owing to the 
admixture of chiccory, and other matters, 
with coffee. We have already seen (art. 
Chiccory) the extent to which chiccory 
is produced free of duty in this country, 
and the rapid increase of its culture; and 
as it is wholly used as a substitute for 
coffee, or rather as a means for its adul¬ 
teration, we need not be surprised at the 
stationary consumption of the latter, even 
with low prices and a reduced duty. Tt 
is, indeed, indispensable, if we would do 
justice to the coffee planters, and protect 
the revenue, either to lay the same duty 
on chiccory that is laid on coffee, or if 
that be impracticable, to grub up the chic¬ 
cory plantations, on making compensation 
to their owtlers. But exclusive of chic¬ 
cory, it is affirmed, and we believe trnly, 
that oilier and more objectionable substan ¬ 
ces have latterly been extensively em¬ 
ployed in the adulteration of coffee. Some¬ 
thing, perhaps, may be done to obviate 
such frauds by increased vigilance on the 


< 51 ) 


part of the police and the revenue officers; 
but the only effectual remedy is to buy 
coffee before it is ground; and as a mill 
for grinding may be bought for a small 
sum, and coffee ia so!d ready “roasted,' 
tht re is, in this way, no great difficulty in 
obviating adulteration. Those who use 
ground coffee will also be secure against 
fraud if they resort only to shops of the 
highest character. 

We observed in the former edition of this 
work, that “sound policy would seem to 
suggest that the duty on foreign coffee should 
be materially reduced; for though it be 
absolutely less now thah formerly, it amounts 
to 8 2/5d. per pound, being double that on 
coffee from a British possession. But its 
reduction to about 6d. per pound, at the 
same time that it would allow Brazil and 
other foreign coffee to be freely entered 
for consumption in the event ot the sup¬ 
ply of British colonial coffee becoming de¬ 
ficient, rising in price, would leave a pro¬ 
tection of no less than 50 per cent, in 
favour of the latter ; which surely is as 
much as can be conceded with any due 
regard to the interests of the consumer. !? 
And we are glad to have to state that, 
in 1844, the duty on foreign coffee was 
reduced to 6 l/10d. per lb. 

Ttie introduction of tea and coffee, it 
has been well remarked, “has led to the 
most wonderful change that ever took place 
in the diet of modern civilised nations, 


( 52 ) 


—a change highly .important, both in a 
moral and physical point of view. These 
beverages 'have the admirable advantage 
of affording stimulus without producing 
intoxication, or any of its evil consequen¬ 
ces. Lovers of tea or coffee are, in fact, 
rarely drinkers ; and hence the use of these 
beverages has benefited both manners and 
morals”—( Scotsman , 17th of October, 1877 ) 
So early as 1710, the famous Latin poet 
Yanierius described the preparation and 
eulogised the virtues of coffee. 

-‘■‘'illo medicamine vates 

Ingeniuin emendet, Ieetn^que intacta resumot 
Catmina ; nec fonlus allios, quibus ora poetas 
Proluerint, fiuxisse solo male credet Achivo.” 

Lib xi. p. 272. ed. 1774. 

Supply and Consumption of Coffee. —Ow¬ 
ing to the increasing consumption of Cof¬ 
fee in this country, the Continent, and Ame¬ 
rica, the great value of the article, the 
large amount of capital and labour em¬ 
ployed in its production, and the shipping 
required for its transport, it has become 
a commodity of primary commercial im¬ 
portance. It deserves particular attention, 
too, inasmuch as there are few, if am\ 
articles that exhibit such variations, not 
only as to consumption, but also as to 
growth and price. These are occasioned 
partly by changes of commercial regula¬ 
tions and duties, and partly, also, bv the 



( 53 ) 

plant requiring 4 or 5 years before it 
comes to bear; so that the supply is nei¬ 
ther suddenly increased when the demand 
increases, nor diminished when it falls off. 
St. Domingo used formerly to be one of 
the greatest sources of supply, having ex¬ 
ported, in 1786, about 35,000 tons; and 
it is supposed that, but for the negro in¬ 
surrection which broke out in 1792, the ex¬ 
ports of that year would have amounted 
to 42,000 tons. The devastation occasioned 
by this event caused, for a series of years, 
an almost total cessation of supplies. They 
have again, however, increased, and are 
understood to amount, at present, to about 
15,000 tons a year. From Cuba, the ex¬ 
ports of coffee have, for some years, owing 
partly to an increased consumption in the 
island, and partly to the efforts of the 
planters having been more directed to the 
cultivation of sugar, been comparatively 
stationary. They may at present amount 
to about ‘22,000 tons, or, including Porto 
Pico, to 25,000 tons. In Java and Bra¬ 
zil, the culture of coffee has increased with 
unprecedented rapidity ^see Batavia and 
Kio Janeiro); so much so, that the ex¬ 
ports from Java, which did not, a tew 
years ago, exceed 18,000 tons, now amount 
to at least 65,000; while those from Bra¬ 
zil, which have increased in an equal de¬ 
gree, amount to about 80,000 tons. The 
growth of coffee in India and Ceylon ha* 
been verv greato increased,, especial-y in 


( 54 ) 


the latter, where, within the last few years, 
the plantations have been so much ex¬ 
tended, tfiat it is believed their produce 
will very shortly equal the present con¬ 
sumption of the U. Kingdom. There has, 
no doubt, been a serious decrease in the 
exports of coffee from the British West 
Indies; the imports into the U. Kingdom 
having declined from 11,014 tons in 1832 
to 4,147 do, 1844; but when reference is 


made to the whole supply, this diminution 
is but inconsiderable. 

Exports. Tons. 

Mocha, Hodeiha, and other 

Arabian ports. 8,000 

Java.65,000 

Sumatra, and other parts of 

Foreign India. 8,000 

Brazil and the Spanish Main.80,000 

Hayti.15,000 

Cuba and Porto Rico ...25,000 

British West India colonies.. 4,000 

India and Ceylon.13,000 

Dutch West Indies. 5,000 

French West Indies and the 

Isle de Bourbon. 8,000 

-231,000 

Consumption. Tons. 

Great Britain. 13,500 


Netherlands and Holland . . .40,500 
Germany, Russia, and coun¬ 
tries round the Baltic.50,000 

France, Spain, Italy, Tur¬ 
key in Europe, the Le¬ 
vant, 50,000 













( 55 ) 


The United States.45,000 

Canada, Australia, &c.. 8,000 

-207,000 


Of the entire export of coffee from Ara¬ 
bia, not more, perhaps, than 4,000 or 5,000 
tons finds its way to the places mentioned 
above; so that, supposing these estimates 
to be about correct, it follows that the 
supply of coffee at present exceeds the de¬ 
mand by about 24,000 tons a-year. The 
latter, however, 19 rapidly increasing ; and 
it is not easy to say whether it be des¬ 
tined to outrun, keep pace with, or fall 
short of the supply. On the whole, how¬ 
ever, we should be inclined to think, that 
though they may occasionally vary to the 
extent of a few thousand tons on the one 
side or the other, the probability is that 
the supply and demand will be pretty 
nearly balanced; so that, supposing peace 
to be preserved, we do not anticipate any 
very great variation of price- When prices 
are considerably depressed, consumption is 
stimulated, and production checked, and 
conversely when prices are high. Oscilla¬ 
tions will, no doubt, continue to take place 
in future, as they have done hitherto ; but 
unless the cost of producing coffee should 
be seriously affected, which probably is 
not very likely, (unless some violent mea¬ 
sures should be adopted with respect to 
the slaves in Brazil,) they will not be 
more than temporary. 

The consumption of coffee in ihe Uni- 





( 56 


ted States has increased with great rapi¬ 
dity since 1821, in which year it amounted 
to only 5,306 tons. Part of this increase 
is, no doubt, to be ascribed to the re¬ 
duction of the duty, first from 5 to 2 cents 
per pound, and its subsequent repeal; 
part to the fall in the price of coffee; and 
a part, perhaps, to the increase of tempe¬ 
rance societies. Probably also, it was in 
some degree ascribable to the comparatively 
high duties formerly laid on the teas im¬ 
ported into the United States ; these, how¬ 
ever, finally ceased in 1833. 

Coffee is sold in bond: the business 
being done in the public market either 
by private or public sales. It is always 
sold at landing weights and revenue tares; 
the latter being on casks, barrels, and 
boxes identical with the real tares, and 
an average rate on bales and bags. 
Draft is allowed for as follows; viz. on 
packages weighing under 1 cwt., 1 lb., 1 
cwt. and under 3 cwt. 2 lbs.; 3 cwt. and 
under 5 cwt., 4 lbs.; and 5 cwt. and up¬ 
wards 5 lb. Coffee is sold at a prompt of 
1 month, allowing a discount of 2§ per 
cent, or 1 per cent. Thus the coffees of 
St. Domingo, Havannah, and Brazil, (with 
the exception of the ‘'‘plantation” variety 
of the last two), are sold at a discount of 
2h per cent., whereas all coffee of British 
plantations, or that liable to the low duty, 
including also the coffees of Laguayra, 
Costa Biea, “Plantation” Rio Sr Havannah, 



Mocha, Java, and other Ea'd India \arie- 
ties, are sold at a discount of 1 per ceuf. 

The following Pro forma aec6unt ol tlie 
sale of coffee from Ceylon may be^ taken 
as representing coffee sold at a discount 
of 1 per cent., and that of the sale of Kio 
coffee as representing coffee sold at a dis¬ 
count of 2£ percent.; but, of course, the 
freight and insurance would vary accord¬ 
ing to the port it came from. These sales 
are made out as if the goods wore sold 
within one month from arrival. There is 
no charge for rent, as the consolidated 
rate covers that charge for 12 weeks. 
Coffee is always rent-free to the purcha¬ 
ser to the prompt day, and lies at the 
sellers risk till then, unless paid tor. 

Species of Coffee. Roasting , —‘The cof¬ 
fees of Jamaica, Ceylon, and Mocha are 
generally esteemed the best ; then iollow 
the coffees of Costa Itica, Dominica, Ber- 
bice, Demerara, Bourbon, Java, Martinique 
and Hayti. Arabian or Mocha coffee is 
produced in a very dry climate, the best 
being raised upon mountainous slopes and 
sandy soils. The most fertile soils are not 
suitable for the growth of very fine coffee. 
Mr. Bryan Edwards observes, that “a rich 
deep soil, frequently ameliorated by show¬ 
ers will produce a luxuriant tree and a 
erreat crop ; but the beans, which are large, 
and of a dingy green, prove, for many 
years, rank and vapid.” And the same 
remark is made by Mr. Crawfurd, with 


( 58 ) 

respect to the coffee of Java.— (East Indian 
Archipelago , vol. i. p. 497.) Coffee is im¬ 
proved by being kept; it then becomes 
of a paler colour. 

Mocha, or as it is commonly called, 
Turkey coffee, should be chosen of a green¬ 
ish light olive hue, fresh and new, free 
from any mustiness, the berries of a mid¬ 
dling size, clean, plump, and without any 
intermixture of sticks or other impurities. 
Particular care should be taken that it be 
not false packed. Good West India coffee 
should be of a greenish colour, fresh, free 
from any unpleasant smell, the berries small 
and unbroken. 

Coffee berries readily imbibe, exhalations 
from other bodies, and thereby acquire an 
adventitious and disagreeable flavour. Su¬ 
gar placed near coffee will, in a short 
time, so impregnate the berries, and injure 
their flavour, as to lower its value 10 or 
20 per cent. Dr. Moseley mentions, that 
a few bags of pepper, on board a ship 
from India, spoiled a whole cargo of coffee. 

“The roasting of the berry to a proper 
degree requires great nicety: the virtue 
and agreeableness of the drink depend upon 
it; and both are often injured by the or¬ 
dinary method. Bernier says, when he 
was at Cairo, where coffee is so much 
used, he was assured by the best judges, 
that there were only two people in that 
great city who understood how to prepare 
it in perfection. If it be under done, its 


( 59 ) 

virtues will not be imparted, and, in use, 
it wiil load and oppress the stomach, it 
it be over-done, it will yield a Hat, burnt, 
and bitter taste, its virtues will be des¬ 
troyed, and, in use, it will heat the body, 
and act as an astringent.’’—( Moseley , p. 39.) 

Regulations with respect to Sale, importa¬ 
tion, 8pc .—Roasted beans and rye, reduced 
to powder, have frequently been used to 
adulterate ground coffee: and the posses¬ 
sion of such substitutes for coffee was for¬ 
merly an offence punishable by the forfei¬ 
ture of the articles, and a penalty of 100£. 
But by the act 3 Geo. 4. c, 53 , persons 
who are not dealers in coffee may take a 
license for roasting and selling corn, peas, 
beans, or parsneps, labelling the parcels 
with the names, and conforming to the 
various regulations prescribed in the act. 

Dealers in coffee must take out a li¬ 
cense, renewable annually, which, at pre¬ 
sent, costs 11s. 

IS o coffee can be imported in packages 
of less than 100 lbs. nett weight. 

No abatement of duties is made on account 
of anv damage coffee may have received. 

Coffee cannot be entered as being the 
produce of any British possession in Ame¬ 
rica or of the Mauritius, until the master 
of the ship in which the coffee is imported 
deliver to the collector or comptroller a 
certificate of its origin, and declare that 
the coffee is the produce of such place,— 
(8 k 9 Viet , cap. 86, § 38.) 


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( fil ) 


ON THE INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS OF THE BERRIES 
OF THE COFFEE PLANT (OOFFEA ARAB1CA J 

By Thornton J . Her apathy Esq. 

Having been desirous, some short time since, 
of determining the best manure for the West Indian 
coffee plantations it became necessary for me, 
in the first place, to ascertain the composition of 
the inorganic constituents of the coffee berry. 
For this purpose 150 grs. of very fine West Indian 
coffee berries, which had been dried in a gas stove 
at a temperature of about 220. F., were taken, 
and carbonized at a gentle heat in a loosely-cover¬ 
ed platinum crucible, recommended by Prof. 
Hose. The carbonaceous mass thus obtained was 
then repeatedly digested with boiling water, until 
a drop of the solution, when evaporated to dryness 
on a glass plate over a spirit-lamp, left only the 
slightest perceptible trace of residue ; it was then 
dried and heated to redness in a large flat-bottom¬ 
ed platina dish, over an Argand burner, until all 
the carbon was consumed and a pure white ash 
remained behind. The ash thus obtained was 
very carefully transferred to a porcelain crucible 
containing a small lump of neutral carbonate of 
ammonia, and it was then subjected to a gentle 
heat, the top of the crucible having been previous¬ 
ly imperfectly closed with a piece of plantina foil. 
The soluble salts having been extracted from the 
ash bv means of hot water, the solution was added 
to that from the charred mass, and the whole 
evaporated to dryness ; the weight of the residue 
which comprised the entire soluble salts was 
2.01 grs. 

The salts insoluble in water, having been dried 
and heated to dull redness, were lound to weigh 


/ 



( 62 ) 

2.94 grs. ; which, when added to the weight of 
the ash. * 

The process of analysis pursued in this inves¬ 
tigation was similar to the one described by me 

in a paper (i On the composition and distribution 
of the inorganic substances in the different organs 
and component organic parts of the mulberrytree,” 
recently communicated to the Chemical Society. 

The soluble salts were found to contain— 

Phosphoric acid. 0.904 

Sulphuric acid ..0.011 

Potash ( . .... 0./55 

Soda ..0.326 

Clorine .0.018 

2.014 

—excess of oxygen in soda 0.004 

•- 2.010 

The insoluble salts contained— 


Carbonic acid. 0.381 

Sulphuric acid. 0.047 

Phosphoric acid . 0.960 

Lime . 1.260 

Magnesia . 0.272 

Silicic acid . .. 0.020 

-2.940 

4.950 


* Some error which we have not the means 
of rectifying. It stands so in the Ceylon I'hnes, 
from which Paper we have reprinted the article. 

Ed, C. 0. 




















( 88 ) 


From these analyses it follows that the per 
centage of ash is 3,3, and that 100 grs. of the ash 
contain of— 

Phosphoric acid .. 18 273 

Sulphuric acid . 0.224 

Potash ••••••.•..... . 15.23 8 

Soda . 6.264 

Chloride of sodium.. 0.606 

Carbonate of lime . 3.838 

Carbonate of magnesia .... 11.515 

Sulphate of lime.* ., . . 1.616 

Phosphate of lime (tribasic). . 42*022 
Silicic acid ... 0,404 

100.000 

Deducting the carbonic acid, we obtain the 
following per centage composition :— 

Phosphoric acid . 10.801 

Sulphuric acid . 0.244 

Potash . 16.512 

Soda. 6.787 

Chloride of sodium . 0.645 

Lime... 2.320 

Magnesia ••••»•. . 5,942 

Sulphate of lime. 1*751 

Phosphate of lime...... 45.551 

Silicic acid 0.438 


100.000 





















( 64 ) 

And, consequently, for every ton of dried coffee 
berries that is raised on a plantation, the proprie- 
or must consider about the following quantities 
of the various mineral substances as having been 
removed from his land :—• 



lbs. 

oz. 

Phosphoric acid.• * * * 

27 

14J 

Sulphuric acid. 

0 

18J 

Prvfft^h . . . .. 

11 

4 

Soda . ................ 

4 

10 

Chloride of sodium, or com- 



mon salt. 

0 

7 

Lime .. 

18 

14 

Magnesia . 

4 

l 

Silicic acid, or silica. 

0 

5 


5 


Chemical Gazette. 


68 




















LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
















